title: High school dropout and long-term sickness and disability in young adulthood: a prospective propensity score stratified cohort study (the Young-HUNT study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High school dropout and long-term sickness absence/disability pension in young adulthood are strongly associated. We investigated whether common risk factors in adolescence may confound this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 6612 school-attending adolescents (13-20 years old) participating in the Norwegian Young-HUNT1 Survey (1995-1997) was linked to long-term sickness absence or disability pension from age 24-29 years old, recorded in the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation registers (1998-2008). We used logistic regression to estimate risk differences of sickness or disability for school dropouts versus completers, adjusting for health, health-related behaviours, psychosocial factors, school problems, and parental socioeconomic position. In addition, we stratified the regression models of sickness and disability following dropout across the quintiles of the propensity score for high school dropout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The crude absolute risk difference for long-term sickness or disability for a school dropout compared to a completer was 0.21% or 21% points (95% confidence interval (CI), 17 to 24). The adjusted risk difference was reduced to 15% points (95% CI, 12 to 19). Overall, high school dropout increased the risk for sickness or disability regardless of the risk factor level present for high school dropout.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High school dropouts have a strongly increased risk for sickness and disability in young adulthood across all quintiles of the propensity score for dropout, i.e. independent of own health, family and socioeconomic factors in adolescence. These findings reveal the importance of early prevention of dropout where possible, combined with increased attention to labour market integration and targeted support for those who fail to complete school.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway. karin.de.ridder@ntnu.no.
authors.forename: Karin A A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: De Ridder
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.forename: Koenraad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cuypers
authors.forename: Roar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.forename: Turid Lingaas
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Holmen
authors.forename: Steinar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Westin
authors.forename: Johan Håkon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bjørngaard
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D010415:Pensions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057216:Propensity Score; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013332:Student Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult